How to get car buyers to recommend your business

At Judge Service, sales director Dale Woodley said encouraging customers to give reviews, which can be posted on the dealer’s website and social media channel, is extremely important, given that the dealership’s next prospective customer will walk through the showroom door only if they feel confident they will be well treated.

“Through our system, if a customer has bought a car and would recommend that dealer, we promote the ability for them to share that recommendation on their own social media pages. Recommendation from family and friends is without doubt the best form of advertising you can get, so it’s very much a case of enabling review content to be on your Facebook and Twitter pages, but it’s arguably more important to enable customers to share that positive experience on their own Facebook and Twitter pages as well,” he said.

UK consumers can be slightly sceptical of 100% glowing approvals, however. Nevertheless, a customer is only going to talk about a business in a positive way if they have had a positive experience.

Chris Sutton, managing director of Black Horse Motor Finance, said the old adage that says retaining a customer is more cost-effective than winning a new one shows the real value of building lasting relationships with customers.

“Favourable finance rates and the rise of PCPs are encouraging more regular vehicle changes than before, increasing the need to secure a loyal customer base. A retained customer who enjoys a good experience is also more likely to recommend you to a friend or colleague, especially if rewarded for doing so – for example, with invitations to test drives,” Sutton added.

Little rewards can have a disproportionate impact on how customers regard their relationship with the dealership, and how likely they are to share the love. At Marshall Volvo in Peterborough, that doesn’t just mean invitations to model launch events and promotions – cars booked in for servicing are returned to their owners with a branded tin of sweets, as a token of thanks.

Audi Wakefield, part of Sytner Group, has a tie-up with British tea and coffee merchant Ringtons Beverages, which enables it to gift dealer-branded tea infusions to customers as a thank you for their business. The gifts bear labels that incorporate the Audi Wakefield logo.

Holly Clough, Audi Wakefield’s administrator, who came up with the idea, said it helps the business stand out.